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Forage Soybean Yield and Quality Responses to Plant Density and Row Distance
Author(s) -
Seiter Stefan,
Altemose Craig E.,
Davis Michael H.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj2004.0966
Subject(s) - forage , neutral detergent fiber , agronomy , sowing , yield (engineering) , cultivar , canopy , dry matter , mathematics , point of delivery , biology , botany , materials science , metallurgy
We conducted a study to determine the effect of row distance and plant density on yield and quality components of ‘Donegal’, a soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivar specifically developed for forage production in the northeastern United States. Dry matter yield ranged from 4.5 to 6.3 Mg ha −1 and 8.7 to 13.9 Mg ha −1 in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Yield in rows spaced 18 cm apart was significantly higher than in rows spaced 76 cm apart. Soybean plants started to lodge between 56 and 84 d after planting. At most sampling dates, the canopy was lower, and individual plants were shorter in 18‐ compared with 76‐cm rows. Soybean attained the beginning seed (R5.5) stage before a killing frost in both years. At that stage, soybean averaged 155 g kg −1 crude protein (CP), 362 g kg −1 acid detergent fiber (ADF), and 469 g kg −1 neutral detergent fiber (NDF). Acid detergent fiber, NDF, and CP increased between beginning pod (R3) and R5.5 growth stages in 2000 and 2001. Forage quality in 2001 was lower at 76‐ compared with 18‐cm rows. Plant densities between 234650 and 555750 plants ha −1 had no consistent effect on forage yield or quality. Donegal showed good potential as a forage crop in the northeastern United States.